frites modern

Frites Modern are a punk band from Amsterdam, Netherlands. They were formed by guitarist/singer Arjan Boonacker after het left the Tr?ckener Kecks in 1981. From Myspace: Together with Tr?ckener Kecks-vandriver Jos Belt on bass and Nitwitz-roadie Martin Ex on drums, AB starts ?Duphar? in 1981. January 1982 they play live for the first time . One month later they change into ?Frites Modern?, named after a burned out french-fries-stand alongside a Belgian motorway, with a scorched sign reading: FRITERIE MODERNE (french for "modern french fries-stand") on it.

From Myspace:

Together with Tr?ckener Kecks-vandriver Jos Belt on bass and Nitwitz-roadie Martin Ex on drums, AB starts ?Duphar? in 1981. January 1982 they play live for the first time . One month later they change into ?Frites Modern?, named after a burned out french-fries-stand alongside a Belgian motorway, with a scorched sign reading: FRITERIE MODERNE (french for "modern french fries-stand") on it. In March of that year two FM-songs appear on punk-compilation ?Als Je Haar Maar Goed Zit?(#1). Martin Ex leaves FM in 1983 for "Last Few" and is replaced by 14-year-old drummer Barend van der Meer, borrowed from ?The Outlawz? (also on ?Als Je Haar Maar Goed Zit 1 & 2) Frites Modern sing in Dutch which is not commonplace in Holland for punkbands (or any dutch band for that matter). In contrast as well to the dominating oi - and later hardcore-trend, FM start out playing melodic punkpop in the tradition of The Jam & The Buzzcocks but speed up considerably under Barends influence, which is more ?Discharge?-based. On their own label a six-song cassette is released "6 MET" (6 portions of French Fries with Mayonaise). Followed 8 months later by the album "Veel, Vet, Goor & Duur? (Alot, Greasy, Filthy & Expensive). "Je bent een Puist in mijn nek" taken from this album appears on the famous international Maximum R&R compilation-LP "Welcome to 1984" and generates a lot of attention. FM are taken on tour by the ?Nitwitz?(later BGK) throughout Holland and Germany and later on FM play Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy and Spain on their own. Many of the early gigs and most of the recordings take place at their hang-out, the Amsterdam punk-youth-centre "Oktopus". A concerthall-recordingstudio-silkscreenprintshop-and ofcourse-bar. Oktopus was frequented by bands like BGK, The Ex, Funeral Oration, Amsterdamned and Nog Watt to name only a few (every visitor played in bands it seemed). A side project called Frenz Fried & the Frimo's with Frans de Wit on vocals and FM soundengineer Jeroen Visser on keyboards results in an album: "Renewed! Now Even Better!" -consisting of 10 revived, mainly dutch, sixties-classics. Barend van der Meer leaves in 1985. FM record -this time with drummer Hans ter Burg- two songs in Germany for the HCcompilation-LP "The Power of Love". Frites Modern never officially split-up. In 1989, the band emerges as a backing band for a recording of Damned's Captain Sensible (12" "Smash it up pt.4"). Later bands for Barend van der Meer include ?Morzelpronk?, "Funeral Oration", ?Smart Bomb? and currently "The Works". In 1996 Barend rejoins FM to play together with the "Nitwitz" at the release-party of a book about the history of Dutch punkrock called "Het Gejuich Was Massaal"(Cheering Was Massive). On the CD of the same name you will find one track by FM, "Bionic Adventure", taken from the cassette "6Met". An official compilation CD with the bests of -and never released recordings is currently (for 2009) in the pipeline. Meanwhile the "Veel, Vet, Goor & Duur" album is now downloadable from Itunes & Amazon among others.